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Category: Trade & Economics

The EU is hardly showering itself in glory among its citizens, tired of a lack of accountability and a deeply controversial migration policy. Brussels would be minded to not serve a blow to European businesses, too, just to frustrate Brexit … Continue reading →

Any discussion of fiscal reform must start with a truth that is seldom heard. The purpose of taxation is to generate the revenue needed to pay the government’s bills. In the face of rising deficits, even in good times (leaving … Continue reading →

“As President of the United States, I will always put America first, just like the leaders of other countries should put their country first also,” Trump declared at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. By Stephen W. Browne l … Continue reading →

Any sort of future relationship where the UK closely follows the EU’s single market and customs union rules, despite not being a formal member of either, is frankly worse than staying a member. It would prevent Britain from signing free … Continue reading →

President Trump’s tax reform program is in stark contrast to critics on the Left who still want a tax system that redistributes income to those who will be denied opportunity by an ideology that deplores capitalism, fears economic growth, and … Continue reading →

There is nothing special in the “100-day Action Plan.” On balance, the consensus favors the opening of China to American business. It will, of course, depend on careful monitoring to insure that the door is swinging the right way. China … Continue reading →

Much of the U.S. portion of the NAFTA Superhighway, consisting of intercontinental infrastructure connecting Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, is already built, quietly financed by successive congressional appropriations over the years and there is no doubt the establishment is anxious … Continue reading →

Donald Trump’s promise to “bring back jobs from overseas” (particularly from China) is perfectly in accord with the Hamiltonian approach, which in the 19th century became known as the American System. George Washington, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay and Abraham Lincoln were all … Continue reading →

Obama has said that he intends to push the TPP in the lame-duck session of Congress. There is no better tactic for subverting democracy than the lame duck session. And the transnational corporate lobbyists are pushing hard for one! A few days wedged between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the average citizen is tired of politics and looking forward to some holiday cheer – and naive thoughts of a better world, is just what the Establishment needs to get its way. Continue reading →

How much more will we be asked to shell out to handle the influx of Chinese goods coming through Texas and the United States? The global corporations always find a way to make the taxpayer foot the bill for them, so taxpayers beware. Continue reading →

Beijing kicked its trade offensive into high gear while Bill Clinton was in the White House, but looking the other way. And, while Hillary Clinton has been pushed into spinning some of her views during the current campaign, it does not seem that she has truly broken with the past to devise new policies to deal with the economic rivalries that have done so much damage to the U.S. economy and now jeopardizes national security as well. Continue reading →

The WTO is a supranational agency established in 1995 to prevent nations from adopting trade policies that give their domestic industries an advantage over foreign rivals. It can declare national legislation “illegal,” if it harms foreign interests. Archives around the world are filled with treaties and other documents that no longer hold sway because they no longer describe reality or fit the needs of major powers. The WTO needs to go into that pile. Then American statesmen can go back to the “protectionist” policies of national development that from its founding built the U.S. into the powerhouse of the 20th century, so it can remain on top during the 21st. Continue reading →

The “Business-Transfer Tax” in all its forms is a proposal for a dual-tax system, to have a value-added tax built upon a rejiggered income tax. This second tax comes disguised as income-tax reform with the VAT label avoided. Sad to say this ill-conceived proposal amounts to a cover-up and remedy for the failure of U.S. trade negotiators to insist that VAT nations abide by the principles of free trade. But, two wrongs don’t make a right. As an enemy of real income-tax reform, it would make the income tax even more disjointed and difficult to unscramble into a simple, tax-neutral, low-rate income tax. Continue reading →

The Mexican customs office within the KC SmartPort is considered sovereign Mexican territory within the United States’ borders. The port was established to boost international trade by moving cargo and customs inspections into what are known as Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) with tremendous tax and duty benefits that domestic companies do not enjoy. Inland ports facilitate the further economic integration of the U.S. with Canada and Mexico. KC SmartPort boasts its rail lines are part of the NAFTA superhighway for freight movement. Continue reading →

“Let’s suppose somebody came to us all today, 2016, and said, bonjour, or guten tag, or ciao, we’ve got this brilliant idea for a new project to take all these higgledy-piggledy nations and turn them into a single political unit with a single currency and gradually moving, actually ever more rapidly, towards a single system of government, and you Brits will have to sign up for virtually all of it except the single currency. They would then be told that they would have to give up the right to make their own laws, pay for membership and have no border control. That’s the offer they make to us – a club that wastes our money massively, that subverts democracy in this country, takes away people’s power to elect the people who take the decisions, reduces the competitiveness of the European economy, and all for no real economic benefit. Why would we join such a club today? Why would we join such a woefully unreformed Europe? Would anybody in their right mind join the EU as it is today? I don’t think so.” – Boris Johnson Continue reading →

The proper counter to socialism and corruption is nationalism. It is the only broad and deep concept of society that can uphold conservative values and channel the creative energy of capitalism to the common good. It is also the only ideology that can rebuild the Reagan coalition and widen the base of the Republican Party by bringing back the hard-working Americans the “country club” party has alienated. It is ironic that a billionaire with global business interests is the one who has taken up the nationalist banner with his Reaganite pledge to “make America great again.” Continue reading →

Such NAFTA international trade has all but destroyed the American manufacturing base, it threatens U.S. jobs and has contributed to stagnant wages since its inception in 1992. So the funding and expansion of the NAFTA trade corridors coupled with the porous southern border create another source of angst for American voters as they weigh the current presidential contenders. Continue reading →

A small government, hard power, anti-crime, nationalist and traditionalist conservatism can succeed. It has succeeded in this election, insofar as the leading candidates have adopted it, with varying degrees of sincerity. If conservatism is to be relevant, it is going … Continue reading →

It appears that the biggest socio-political division of our time is no longer between rightist and leftist political trends, as it was during the Cold War era. It is between nationalism and greater globalization. Washington is caught between a shift from managed international economics and trade and the new patriotic nationalism at home. Continue reading →

It is often said that a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged. The turn to the Right in America started with a backlash against the disastrous ideas, both social and economic, that came out of the 1960s and reached fruition with the “stagflation” and anarchy of President Jimmy Carter. A new generation has suffered through the painfully slow half-recovery under President Barack Obama. Thus, both the libertarian and democratic-socialist models have failed. This leaves only a genuine conservative model to save the day, if it can find a champion. Continue reading →

The biggest supporters of the Export-Import Bank are the Obama administration, the Republican Leadership in Congress and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House John Boehner support Obama on two critical issues the conservative grassroots strongly oppose – Trade Promotion Authority and the Ex-Im Bank. But the American people don’t want more crony capitalism. Continue reading →

Once again, Republicans caved to the will of a rogue, progressive president. To put the Republicans betrayal of the American people in context, Sessions notes, “The request for fast-track also comes at a time when the Administration has established a recurring pattern of sidestepping the law, the Congress, and the Constitution in order to repeal sovereign protections for U.S. workers in deference to favored financial and political allies.” – Senator Jeff Sessions Continue reading →

Looking into the coal industry in Montana gives us a strong insight into the present state of affairs of American coal. Montana generally ranks around fifth in terms of coal output in the United States, while having the largest amount of reserves, roughly 25 percent of U.S. reserves, or 120 billion tons.

But the GOP will have to look beyond the “advice” of Big Business since it is corporate policy that has sought to keep American incomes down. It must be remembered that the Chamber of Commerce supports Obama on immigration.

With national elections looming, all the structural factors favor a Republican wave that will shift control of the Senate and give the GOP majorities in both houses of Congress. Yet, the actual Senate contests in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and North Carolina are considered too close to call. This implies that despite President Obama’s fall in public confidence as his economic and foreign policies have faltered; the Republicans have not presented voters with a strong case for putting them into power.

Buchanan dislikes the neocons, blaming them for maintaining an assertive foreign policy after the Cold War ended in victory. Apparently, the U.S should have folded its tent and retreated into isolationism, as it did after winning the other two world wars of the 20th century. Those strategic decisions left the country unprepared for the next round of conflict. History shows that all “post-war” periods become “interwar” periods.

For perhaps the first time since the 2010 election inaugurated divided control of Capitol Hill, there was actual excitement about energy legislation as the House took up a bill to expedite the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It’s not that the House hasn’t passed dozens of bills to encourage domestic oil and gas production, or discipline extralegal rulemakings by the EPA – it surely has. Rather, it’s been the automatic DOA status of these measures in the Senate that’s made the movie seem old and predictable. Well, that may be changing.

The group National Foreign Trade Council has opposed all sanctions on Iran from the start of the nuclear crisis. Iran has oil money and NFTC members want to do business with the regime regardless of any other consideration.

Jonathan V. Last writing his “Cold Open” column for the Weekly Standard February 5 revived the term “Stupid Party” for the Republicans. John Stuart Mill, a leading 19th century classical liberal is credited with branding conservatives as “stupid” because they weren’t up on the latest intellectual fads that he promoted. This is not what Mr. Last meant.

Who can forget Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s infamous statement: “But we have to pass the [health care] bill so that you can find out what’s in it,” during the debate over enacting Obamacare in 2010? Apparently, the House Republican leadership has forgotten. On January 9, House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers issued a statement in support of granting President Barack Obama

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) “creates a parallel court system that has never existed before and will usurp U.S. sovereignty” warned Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) in an exclusive interview with SFPPR News and Analysis.

On November 23, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced the establishment of an East China Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and demanded that all aircraft entering or transiting the zone file flight plans with Beijing. China then deployed fighters to patrol the zone; threatening military action against anyone who did not acknowledge it’s authority in what is otherwise considered international…

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is being touted as a free trade agreement that will benefit the Pacific Rim countries, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. It is being called “one of the most significant international trade agreements since the creation of the World Trade Organization.” It standardizes 12 countries’ laws, rules and regulations in order to streamline trade. But the American public hardly knows anything about TPP. Secret meetings are being held by un-elected government trade representatives to discuss it. In place of Congress, corporate representatives are making decisions on everything related to trade. Corporate interests are essentially replacing American laws.

Have you ever had a kid ask for seconds during a meal before he’s even finished what’s on his plate? Well, that’s what the Texas legislature is asking of voters on November 5. Lawmakers want Texans to pass a constitutional amendment, Proposition 6, to approve more funding for water projects. A similar measure narrowly passed in November 2011 for a $6 billion revolving fund to loan money to local government entities for water infrastructure, outside constitutional debt limitations.

As a professional staff member on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in 2011, I was able to visit several countries to check on how the U.S. Aid for International Development (USAID) agency was fulfilling its many missions. On the agency’s website is the statement, “Broad-based economic growth is essential to sustainable, long-term development. It creates the opportunities impoverished households need to raise their living standards, provides countries with the resources to expand access to basic services, and—most important of all—enables citizens to chart their own prosperous futures.” Absolutely true, and not just in “developing” parts of the Third World, but in all parts of the world as “development” is an ongoing process everywhere.

The government shutdown caused President Barack Obama to cancel his trip to the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting in Bali, Indonesia this week. Secretary of State John Kerry led the delegation instead. Bali is one of the most opulent resort areas in the world. On the sidelines of the conference, there were discussions between Administration officials with their opposite numbers from the other 11 countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations.

Since Barack Obama won a second term, much has been said about how the GOP needs to reach out to a broader group and be more tolerant in order to win another national election. In Texas, all eyes are on Democrat Senator Wendy Davis to see whether she will formally throw her hat in the ring to run for Texas Governor later this month. She’s energized her party over her high-profile filibuster of a bill to restrict abortion that won her national attention and made her an instant household name in the Lone Star State. Politicos have been pondering whether Texas will turn blue ever since.

With President Barack Obama’s popularity at home and overseas suffering, there’s yet another area of policy where his influence is diminishing: the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a key part of his globalist free trade agenda. World leaders from 12 countries wrapped up a week of negotiations in the Sharia-Islamic Southeast Asian country of Brunei on August 23 and will meet again later this month in the United States. The TPP represents the largest free trade agreement in U.S. history.

Close on the heels of news that Interstate 69 (I-69) is underway in Texas, the Indiana Finance Authority and highway department (INDOT) has selected four private developers to submit proposals for a public-private partnership (P3) on segment 5 of I-69 from Bloomington to Martinsville. The final selection is expected this fall.

Since the imposition of the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), whereby individuals residing within the borders of the United States, yet ineligible to receive Social Security Numbers have been able to file tax returns, widespread fraud has gone unabated. This according to the 2012 report (Reference Number: 2012-42-081) issued by the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

Thirty-five of the 36 House Republican freshmen in Congress have said they would like to provide President Obama with “Trade Promotion Authority” (TPA), which would allow him to “fast-track” the negotiation of reciprocal trade agreements, instead of wrangling through the specifics with Congress. Ostensibly, it would make free trade agreements easier to implement.

Despite high hopes that lawmakers would address the chronic road funding shortfall at the outset of the 83rd session of the Texas legislature, Texas taxpayers only saw $534 million of $1.2 billion in diversions of gas tax revenues returned to roads (for the next two years) with a reliance on more toll roads to fill the remaining $4 billion annual funding gap. That’s only one-eighth of the money needed.

If anything has united Republicans and the conservative movement in recent years, it has been their staunch opposition to so”called Obamacare, the chief policy initiative of President Barack Obama. Formally known as the Affordable Care Act, this sweeping overhaul of America’s health”care system galvanized conservative activists…

We still don’t know the answer to that question, but a critical segment of the Keystone XL Pipeline is mighty close to conclusion. The map segment referred to as the “Gulf Coast Project” is nearly complete, as a finite pipeline capable of carrying Canadian oil sands from Hardisty, Alberta to Nederland, Texas.

Texans from across the state recently converged at the capitol in Austin to stress the need for Texas Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, Speaker Joe Straus, and House and Senate budget writers to prevent the most fiscally sound, long-term road funding solutions from being held hostage to more tolls, debt, and tax hikes.

As Congress fails year after year to agree upon an annual budget, the government is kept limping along through temporary Continuing Resolutions (CRs). The budget is supposed to be adopted each year by October 1st, the beginning of the fiscal year. Instead, Congress has been passing multiple stopgap funding measures each year.

The eighth annual Texas Transportation Forum hosted by the Texas Transportation Institute and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently held in Austin had all eyes on the future – the future of international trade in light of the anticipated Panama Canal expansion, the future of road funding, and even the future of driving (like driverless cars).

The Republican Party, which has been a joke for almost as long as it has been a party, is fresh off two defeats in presidential elections and they have come up with the plan of all plans to get back on top.

Jobs, jobs, jobs, that’s the worry when it comes to the political reality of international trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and that put proponents of NAFTA attending the November 15-16 NAFTA-20 Conference on defense with the public, especially in times of economic stress and sustained high unemployment.

“Welcome to San Antonio, the NAFTA city,” declared San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro at the November 15 opening of the NAFTA20 conference held in San Antonio to commemorate 20 years since the signing of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in the Alamo city.

There are two types of societies, production societies and rationing societies. The production society is concerned with taking more territory, exploiting that territory to the best of its ability and then discovering new techniques for producing even more.

If Romney accomplished nothing else during his Israeli visit, he did manage to offend every single Palestinian Arab terrorist group, all of whom, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP and the DFLP, issued press releases denouncing him.

China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a statement last Thursday warning that the U.S. might launch new investigations of Chinese trade practices amid allegations of illegal government subsidies and product dumping.

Before Obama got around to digging up his copy of last year’s State of the Union address, crossing out a few lines, adding something about Iraq and Bin Laden, before heading out for another round of golf, David Brooks wrote a New York Times column urging Obama not to forget to mention the importance of promoting education for a free market economy. He titled it, Free-Market Socialism.